Recording devices



June 16, 1964 R. GRAHAM RECORDING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 14, 1960 INVENTOR Robe r Gru/fam BY M m17 3M;

June 16, 1964 R. GRAHAM RECORDING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 14, 1960 United States Patent O RECRDING DEVICES Robert Graham, Bowness, Alberta, Canada Filed July 14, 1960, Ser. No. 42,905 4 Claims. (Cl. 346--137) This invention relates to improvements in recording devices and in particular to improvements in recording charts of the type described and illustrated in my prior and copending application, Serial No. 841,982, :tiled Sepy.

tember 24, 1959.

In my prior application, I described deficiencies found in present day circular recorders and I illustrated a continuous recording chart that overcame the necessity to remove and replace charts at short intervals.

I have found it necessary, however, at times to remove the recordings at definite intervals, as for example: 24 hour periods but, at the same time, there still remainedl the necessity that the recording be of a continuous nature and that it could go on uninterruptedly for a longer period than 24 hours if desired.

Further, I found that it is not always possible to arrive at the recording apparatus at the precise time during any 24 hour period to remove a chart on which there has been a recording and I have therefore, improved my continuous recording mechanism so` that each of the charts will record a given period, as for example, 24 hours or any other desired interval of time and, when complete, the recording stylus is enabled to pass on to the next chart with the recorded chart being placed in position for removal. It is then possible to arrive at the recording mechanism some time during the second recording period and remove the recorded chart Without any disturbance to the recording being done at that time.

In addition I have developedan improved spreadingy mechanism for my recorder that may be rotated to clear the recording apparatus as the recording is removed yor recording charts are placed on the device.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a projected view partly broken away and in section to illustrate my improved apparatus.

FIGURE 2 is a projected view of one of my improved charts.

As in my previous apparatus, my device is incorporated in a conventional recorder consisting of a housing 1, which has a cover 2 hinged to the housing at 3. A clock work motor or the like 5, is mounted Within the housing and includes a drive shaft which terminated ice the radial slits 11 and tabs 12 are in alignment throughout the superposed charts. i f

As in my previous device it is necessary for the recording stylus 8 to pass from one chart to the other whenever a complete rotation has been made and the f requisite information has been inscribed on the one chart.

the springs 18-18 to hold the bar 16 normally tightly against the charts 24 as the charts are rotated. In addin tion, the spreading arm 19 is secured at its one end 20 in the threaded connector 6 at its outer end which serves to contain the recording charts indicated generally at 24. As is common in apparatus of this sort alignment pins 7 project with the drive shaft of the motor 5 and Serve to maintain the superposed charts 24 in alignment.

The recording apparatus of this device is conventional and includes a pair of stylus arms 8 secured pivotally at 9 and actuated through the linkage 10 so that the stylus arms 8 will travel in an arc across one of the charts 24 to inscribe the desired information as the charts 24 are rotated.

Each of the superposed charts 24 is slit radially as indicated at 11 and is provided with a tab 12 secured at the slit 11 and overlappingthe remainder of the chart and it should be noted that the overlap 12 is formed from a material more rigid than that customarily used in the charts 24 (the charts 24 normally are of flexible paper construction while the tab 12 would be of a lightl semiflexible cardboard). It should be noted also that the charts 24 each are inscribed with a plurality of radial lines representing hourly designations and when the charts 24 are secured for rotation by the drive motor 5,

to the bar 16, is formed in a loop over the centre of the chart and is prolonged by the portion 21 which is positioned and spaced in parallel relationship to the bar 16 and is secured to the bar at 22. To ensure that the tab 12 always will be raised as the charts are rotated, the bar 16 is formed at 25 into a sharpened wedge which will pass smoothly beneath the tab 12 to raise a chart over the arm 19 as the charts are rotated.

With this construction and separate superposed charts 24, it will be obvious that a recording will be made on the uppermost chart as the charts are rotated and this chart will then be raised by the wedge 25 and guided over the stylus 8 by the arm 19 to allow the stylus to pass to the chart immediately beneath. Thereafter the charts will be successively lifted after a complete rotation. At any time during the recording the lifted recorded charts may be removed, without disturbing the recording on the remainder, by simply removing the connecting knob 6, lifting off the recorded charts and then reinstalling the connecting knob in the usual fashion.

In addition, when placing a new set of charts in the housing, the spreading mechanism is raised at the pivot points 14 and when the prongs 23 are moved past centre, the springs 18 will hold the spreader mechanism in the raised position while the charts are installed. Thereafter the mechanism is lowered into the position illustrated in FIGURE l and the springs 18 will then pull on the arms 13-13 to maintain the bar 16 tightly against the charts.

What I claim as my invention is:

f 1. Ina recording device having a housing with a drive motor in such housing and a plurality of stacked circular recording charts each slit radially and connected centrally to the drive motor to be rotated by the drive motor and the recording styli in the housing positioned to record on one of the charts, a spreading mechanism comprising a spreader bar extending diametrically across the charts in contact with the chart being recorded on by the styli and adapted to intercept the rear edge of such chart at the radial slit and pass under the rear edge of the chart, a spreading arm on the spreader bar to guide the raised chart over the styli and permit the styli to pass to the chart beneath, such spreader bar including arms extending from the bar and connected pivotally to the housing whereby the bar may be raised away from the charts, and spring means co-acting between the arms and the housing to hold the spreader bar in the raised position and in frictional contact with the chart.

2. The recording device as claimed in claim l wherein the spreader bar is Wedge shaped to positively intercept the rear edge of the chart adjacent the centre thereof.

3. In a recording device having a housing with a drive motor in such housing and a plurality of superposed separate circular recording charts each slit radially and connected centrally to the drive motor to be rotated by the drive motor and a recording stylus in the housing positioned to record on one of the charts, an overlap secured to the rearward edge of each of the charts to overlap the forward edge of` such chart, spreading mechanism in sliding Contact with one of the charts, such spreading mechanism adapted to pass under the overlap of the chart being recorded on by the stylus to guide the overlap and the chart over the stylus and permit the stylus to pass to the chart beneath.

4. A recording chart for use in a continuous recordingk mechanism comprising a circular chart having a central .opening therein for connection to a drive mechanism and a radial slit leading from the centre of the chart to the periphery thereof, and overlap secured to oney edge of the chart at the radial slit to overlap the opposite edge of the chart at the radial slit, such overlap being of less exible material than the chart.

4 References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Ser. No. 352,111, Fornbacker (A.P.C. published May 25, 1943. 

1. IN A RECORDING DEVICE HAVING A HOUSING WITH A DRIVE MOTOR IN SUCH HOUSING AND A PLURALITY OF STACKED CIRCULAR RECORDING CHARTS EACH SLIT RADIALLY AND CONNECTED CENTRALLY TO THE DRIVE MOTOR TO BE ROTATED BY THE DRIVE MOTOR AND THE RECORDING STYLI IN THE HOUSING POSITIONED TO RECORD ON ONE OF THE CHARTS, A SPREADING MECHANISM COMPRISING A SPREADER BAR EXTENDING DIAMETRICALLY ACROSS THE CHARTS IN CONTACT WITH THE CHART BEING RECORDED ON BY THE STYLI AND ADAPTED TO INTERCEPT THE REAR EDGE OF SUCH CHART AT THE RADIAL SLIT AND PASS UNDER THE REAR EDGE OF THE CHART, A SPREADING ARM ON THE SPREADER BAR TO GUIDE THE RAISED CHART OVER THE STYLI AND PERMIT THE STYLI TO PASS TO THE CHART BENEATH, SUCH SPREADER BAR INCLUDING ARMS EXTENDING FROM THE BAR AND CONNECTED PIVOTALLY TO THE HOUSING WHEREBY THE BAR MAY BE RAISED AWAY FROM THE CHARTS, AND SPRING MEANS CO-ACTING BETWEEN THE ARMS AND THE HOUSING TO HOLD THE SPREADER BAR IN THE RAISED POSITION AND IN FRICTIONAL CONTACT WITH THE CHART. 